Intake Worker (MHCSS)

Summary about this job

Detail information about job Intake Worker (MHCSS). Terms and conditions vacancy

Project aim

The Mental Health NDIS Access Project is a time limited initiative which will assist clients of the specialist clinical mental health services (with a focus on clients in shared care arrangements with general practitioners and private psychiatrists) and people experiencing societal vulnerability who meet the disability, age and residency requirements of the NDIS to collect and collate the evidence they need to make an NDIS access request. While the primary outcome of the project is a successful access outcome for the target cohort it is anticipated,  as a secondary outcome, referral agencies will: gain an understanding of the NDIS access process and the type of individual who would be eligible for the NDIS; develop enhanced skills and competence in supporting their clients to understand and complete the NDIS access process; and gain support with workload for clients that would otherwise require intensive effort to engage in and complete the NDIS access process.

Project description

Target Cohort: the project targets people with a severe mental illness and substantial, enduring psychosocial disability who are likely eligible for the NDIS and are:

• shared care clients with general practice (e.g. Clozapine GP Shared Care Program) and private psychiatrists,
• clients that have been discharged from the clinical mental service system and are seeking evidence from the health service to complete their NDIS access request, and
• people (who are not clients of the clinical mental health service system) experiencing significant (social and economic) disadvantage who require focused effort to understand the NDIS and make an access request, with a priority focus on: people experiencing homelessness; residents of pension-level Supported Residential Services (SRS)*; people with a dual diagnosis; people with a dual disability; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; and culturally and linguistically diverse people.

Key functions:

• establishment/consolidation of robust referral pathways with health services, relevant local welfare/social support services and other key stakeholders to identify and collaboratively support the target cohort throughout the access process,
• use of an agreed ‘pre-screening’ checklist by referral agencies to assist them to identify clients who have a severe mental illness that may be eligible for the NDIS,
• use of an agreed eligibility (screening) assessment tool to determine likely eligibility for the NDIS,
• provision of information to potential participants and their supporters (e.g. carer, family member, friend, nominated person or formal guardians) on the NDIS, including why they may be eligible for the NDIS, the benefits of the scheme and the NDIS access process,
• supporting the person to liaise with their treating health professional to collect the evidence they need to make an NDIS access request or with consent undertake this activity on their behalf,
• if the person does not have a current treating health professional, proactively support them to engage with a health professional to secure the evidence required to make an access request (this will likely require supporting the person to attend appointment/s and address issues such as gap payments for assessments),
• supporting the person to contact the NDIA and request an Access Request Form and act as a contact person for the NDIA throughout the access process as required,
• collecting and collating all necessary evidence and complete the Access Request Form with the person, their supporters and person’s treating health professional,
• assisting the person to submit their Access Request Form to the NDIA and act as a contact person for NDIA queries, at the request of the person,
• follow-up with the NDIA on the status of the person’s access request (as required) including monitoring of timelines, and
• if required, assisting the person to understand and seek a review of the NDIA decision or appeal the decision through the AAT.

*The Project will take into account the ROAR project being undertaken by the Salvation Army

Please lodge your expression of interest by applying to this role with a brief cover letter outlining your suitability, and a copy of your resume. Applications close 24 July 2018.